Plastic self-reclosing safety cap with elastic spring

ABSTRACT

A plastic self-reclosing safety cap is described which is made of two molded pieces, one fixed to the bottle or container which it closes, and the other piece nested over the first so as to normally close an aperture, but which can be opened by first pulling and then twisting the outer piece to align its aperture with the aperture in the first cap, against the resilience of an integral elastic annular band which restores the normal closed condition when the opening force is released.

United States Patent 1191 Kessler et al.

[ PLASTIC SELF-RECLOSING SAFETY CAP WITH ELASTIC SPRING [75] Inventors:Gerald Kessler, 388 Cranberry Rd.,

Boardman, Ohio; Max L. Libman,

[21] Appl. No.: 293,835

14 1 Aug. 20, 1974 3,584,760 6/1971 Grinker 220/35 X PrimaryExaminerGeorge T. Hall [57] ABSTRACT A plastic self-reclosing safety capis described which is made of two molded pieces, one fixed to the bottleor container which it closes, and the other piece nested over the firstso as to normally close an aperture, but which can be opened by firstpulling and then twisting the outer piece to align its aperture with theaperture in the first cap, against the resilience of an integral elasticannular band which restores the normal closed condition when the openingforce is released.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures [52] US. Cl 215/9, 215/76, 222/513,

220/35 v [51] Int. Cl B65d 55/02 [58] Field of Search 215/9, 46 R, 76;206/42;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,533,915 12/1950 Brooks222/513 PATENTEUAUGZOIHM SNEEI 2 0f 2 FIG. 5.

PLASTIC SELF-RECLOSING SAFETY CAP WITH ELASTIC SPRING v This inventionrelates to safety caps for containers such as bottles containing liquidsor pills which should not be accessible to small children. Such safetycontainers usually require the use of both hands, and the application ofconsiderable force in more than one direction so as to be beyond thecapabilities of a small child. The present invention provides which acontainer in which an outer cap must be first pulled axially away fromthe neck of the bottle or container, and then twisted so as to align anopening in the outer cap with an opening in the inner cap before thecontents can be dispensed. This requires the use of both hands, and whenthe opening force is released, the cap is restored to its initial closedposition, in the present case by means of an integral elastic springwhich is molded as part of the outer cap.

The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects andadvantages thereof, will clearly appear from a description of apreferred embodiment, as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bottlehaving a cap according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1, showing the capinits closed position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the cap in its opencondition;

FIG. 4 is a similar sectional view of a modified form of cap and bottle;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional views showing one method of making the outercap unit;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of another form of the vention', and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottle 2, which is shown as glass but mayalso be made of metal or plastic, is provided with a neck 4 preferablyhaving an annular bead 6 for firmly retaining the inner piece 8 of atwopiece plastic cap 10. Cap 8 has an aperture 12 and is preferablyimmovably fastened to the neck 4 as by adhesive, spin welding, or anyother known method. Outer piece 15 has an integral annular band 16 ofresilient plastic material having sufficient elasticity to be similar torelatively soft rubber, such materials now being readily available; Theouter cap also has a lower portion 18 which is made of hard plasticsimilar to the top portion 14, and both of these pieces are integrallyconnected to the elasticband 16 so that the outer piece is an integralunit having an upper and lower section 14 and 18 respectively connectedby the resilient band 16. The outer piece has a downwardly projectingclosure stop portion 20 which normally fits into the aperture 12 in theinner piece so as to provide a reasonably tight closure for aperture 12;and in addition prevents rotation of piece 14 with respect to the innerpiece 8. The outer piece 14 also has an aperture 22 which in the initialposition shown in FIG. 2 is displaced from aperture 12 and is thereforelocked by the top portion of inner piece 8.

To obtain access to the contents, theouter cap 14 must be pulled awayaxially from the bottle and from inner cap 8 until the closure stop 20is clear of aperture 6 the elastic band 16, which is shown distorted inFIG. 3 due to the pressure required to align the two apertures. Thecontents can now be poured or removed from the container 2; it will benoted that both hands must be used to hold the apertures in place whilethe contents are being removed. When the hand pressure is released onthe outer cap, the resilience of elastic band 16 restores the cap to itsinitial condition. It'will be understood that the lower portion 18 ofthe outer cap is firmly fixed, as by adhesion or spin welding totheinner piece 8, so that only the top portion 14 can be moved with respectto the inner piece.

FIG. 4 shown another form of the invention in which the bottle itself ismolded so as to provide, in effect, the inner piece 8 of FIG. 2. In thiscase, the outer piece is very similar to the outer piece of FIG. 2, withportions 24, 26 and 28 corresponding to portions 14, 16 and 18 of FIG.2. Piece 28 is, of course, firmly fastened to the container in any knownmanner. In this Figure, it should be noted that the closure stop plug 30is shown as tapered, in order to provide a better seal, and the rim ofaperture 32 may be correspondingly tapered, if desired, to provide amating seat.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show one method of making the outer cap 15 by the use ofknown dual extrusion techniques. First the outer cap is molded as asingle piece including both upper section 14 (corresponding to part 14in FIG. 2) and lower section 18 (corresponding to 18 in FIG. 2), bothparts being connected by a thin shell 9 bridging and connecting the twosections, which may have a weakening notch 11, or alternatively, theentire bridge portion 9 may be as thin as possible and yet hold the twosections together. At a subsequent step in the operation the softelastic band 16' is now applied to produce a cross-section as shown inFIG. 5. After this, the two parts are rotated or otherwise movedrelative to each other to break up the frangible shell portion 9 andleave the two sections hold together only by the elastic band 16, oralternatively, the cap may be assembled on the bottle in the conditionof FIG. 5 and the shell 9 broken by the user the first time the cap isopened.

Although the cap is shown as being all-plastic, it will be apparent thatthe hard plastic parts could also be of aluminum or some other suitablemetal.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a form of the invention which permits the contents ofthe bottle to be removed with the use of one hand only to keep the capopen. This is accomplished by providing ridges as shown at 30 and 32respectively on the outer surface of inner section 8 and the innersurface of outer section 14'', these being preferably axially extendingridges with tapered sides. After the cap is opened with two hands aspreviously described, one finger (or the thumb) of one hand holding thebottle is pressed against the side of the cap as indicated by arrow B sothat opposing ridges 30 and 32 interlock at the side where the pressureis applied, which keeps the outer section 14" from rotating under theelastic pull of band 16" so that the cap remains open. When the sidepressure is released after use, due to the slight taper of the sides ofthe axial ridges, the inner and outer parts of the cap disengage and thecap returns to its closed position under the elastic pull of the band16".

We claim:

1. a. A dispensing container having a safety closure,

b. said container comprising a fixed portion having a first top wallportion and a first side wall portion,

c. said top wall portion having an off-center first dispensing aperture,

d. an outer cap member having a movable section slidably covering atleast a part of said neck portion and having a second side wall portionand a second top wall portion extending across said first top wallportion, and having a second dispensing aperture aligned with said firstdispensing aperture in one radial position of said outer cap member,

e. said second top wall portion covering said first aperture in anotherradial position of said outer cap member,

f. an annular elastic band, having a lower and an upper edge, extendingcircumferentially around said neck portion and fixed at its lower edgewith respect to said fixed portion and at its upper edge to the bottomedge of said movable member to nor- I mally retain said outer cap memberin said other radial position wherein said first aperture is covered,

g. said elastic band being circumferentially elastically distortable bymanual force applied to said outer cap to permit said second aperture tobe aligned with said first aperture.

2. The invention according to claim 1,

' ,3. The invention according to claim 2,

i. said container having a pouring aperture,

j. and said outer cap and said fixed portion being of at leastsemi-rigid plastic material, the bottom of said neck portion being fixedto said neck container around said pouring aperture,

k. and an annular rigid plastic rign surrounding said neck portion andfixed thereto, the bottom of said elastic band being fixed to a portionof said ring.

4. The invention according to claim 2,

i. said fixed portion being integral with said container and of the samematerial. 7

5. The invention according to claim 2, and an annular rigid plastic ringsurrounding said fixed portion and fixed thereto, the bottom of saidelastic band bein fixed to a portion of said ring. 7

6. The invention according to claim 5, v

i. at least said outer cap member being of rigid plastic material, andincluding said movable section and a lower section connected by saidelastic band, said lower section being said annular plastic ring,

j. and a thin frangible band of said rigid plastic material between saidupper and said lower sections and serving to hold them together prior toapplication of said elastic band to the outer cap.

7. The invention according to claim 1,

h. and mutually interlocking elements on the inner side of said secondside wall portion and on the outer side of said first wall portion forretaining said outer cap member against rotation when lateral pressureis applied between said two wall portions.

8. The invention according to claim 7,

i. said mutually interlocking elements being axially extending ridgeshaving tapered sides.

1. A. A dispensing container having a safety closure, b. said containercomprising a fixed portion having a first top wall portion and a firstside wall portion, c. said top wall portion having an off-center firstdispensing aperture, d. an outer cap member having a movable sectionslidably covering at least a part of said neck portion and having asecond side wall portion and a second top wall portion extending acrosssaid first top wall portion, and having a second dispensing aperturealigned with said first dispensing aperture in one radial position ofsaid outer cap member, e. said second top wall portion covering saidfirst aperture in another radial position of said outer cap member, f.an annular elastic band, having a lower and an upper edge, extendingcircumferentially around said neck portion and fixed at its lower edgewith respect to said fixed portion and at its upper edge to the bottomedge of said movable member to normally retain said outer cap member insaid other radial position wherein said first aperture is covered, g.said elastic band being circumferentially elastically distortable bymanual force applied to said outer cap to permit said second aperture tobe aligned with said first aperture.
 2. The invention according to claim1, h. and a small plug integral with said second top wall and extendingdownwardly therefrom into said first aperture when said outer cap is insaid other radial position, to prevent radial rotation of said outer capuntil said outer cap is first pulled away axially from said fixedportion sufficiently to clear said small plug.
 3. The inventionaccording to claim 2, i. said container having a pouring aperture, j.and said outer cap and said fixed portion being of at least semi-rigidplastic material, the bottom of said neck portion being fixed to saidneck container around said pouring aperture, k. and an annular rigidplastic rign surrounding said neck portion and fixed thereto, the bottomof said elastic band being fixed to a portion of said ring.
 4. Theinvention according to claim 2, i. said fixed portion being integralwith said container and of the same material.
 5. The invention accordingto claim 2, and an annular rigid plastic ring surrounding said fixedportion and fixed thereto, the bottom of said elastic band being fixedto a portion of said ring.
 6. The invention according to claim 5, i. atleast said outer cap member being of rigid plastic material, andincluding said movable section and a lower section connected by saidelastic band, said lower section being said annular plastic ring, j. anda thin frangible band of said rigid plastic material between said upperand said lower sections and serving to hold them together prior toapplication of said elastic band to the outer cap.
 7. The inventionaccording to claim 1, h. and mutually interlocking elements on the innerside of said second side wall portion and on the outer side of saidfirst wall portion for retaining said outer cap member against rotationwhen lateral pressure is applied between said two wall portions.
 8. Theinvention according to claim 7, i. said mutually interlocking elementsbeing axially extending ridges having tapered sides.